Firearm barrel with bar coding means

ABSTRACT

In order to provide identification marks on the shell of bullets fired through the barrel of firearms, the invention suggests a firearm barrel/ 1 / with means for providing identification line code on the shell of bullets fired through the barrel, said barrel/ 1 / comprising a rifled or smooth bore/ 2 /, wherein the barrel/ 1 / comprises marker pins/ 6 / circumferentially arranged in the barrel/ 1 / under different angles/ / in relation to a reference angle position/0°/, said marker pins/ 6 / penetrating into the bore/ 2 / of the barrel/ 1 / up to its base diameter/d/, and being capable of producing line code markings on the shell of the bullet. the identification marks put on the bullets enable easy and reliable identification of any firearm recorder with an appropriate registration system.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to firearms, in particular to means forproviding identifying line code on the shell of bullets fired from smallfirearms, preferably from hand-guns.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] The present registration systems of firearms are based on theserial numbers provided by the manufacturers, therefore there is nouniform identification system, and the fired bullets do not carry anyinformation either of the registration number or other recordedidentification mark. According to the present practice firearms expertsexamine the fired bullets to define the calibre of the weapon and todetermine whether or not the bullet was shot from the given gun.

[0003] Bullet identification systems based upon the principle of barcoding are known. U.S. Pat. No. 5,758,446 teaches a bar type identifyingmarking code system for providing a bar code on the surface of a bulletthat is fired from a firearm, to identify the particular firearm. Thesystem is accomplished by imposing microscopic rigs and/or groves in thelands of a barrel that are already there from the boring of the barrel.Identifying marks that are only on that barrel are left on the leadbullet when it is fired from the firearm.

[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 5,685,100 relates to a firearm system thatimpresses a bar type code into the cartridge casing of the bullet thathas been fired from the gun. The identifying markings are placed on thegun with as little visibility as possible but enough to form the code toidentify the gun from which the bullet was fired. The identifying codemarking are impressed on the surface of the shell casing when thefirearm is fired.

[0005] U.S. Pat No. 4,035,942 discloses a bullet identification systemcomprising cutting elements extending into the bore of the barrel toimpart groove-like markings upon the bullet surface when it is fired.The markings are arranged in groups of grooves, each group beingreadable in a bar type coded form as a digit portion of a number. Thecomposite pattern of grooves upon the surface of the bullet forms acomposite number corresponding to the identification or registrationnumber of the gun from which the bullet was fired. The cutting elementsare made in form of thick and thin bars regularly spaced in the innersurface of a barrel. Each distinct combination of thick and thin barscomprises a bar coded form of number. The coded numbers define theidentification number of a specific gun. Consequently, a bullet firedthrough the barrel will be provided with the identification code of thespecific barrel.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide anidentification mark, preferably a registration code corresponding to aninternational registration number of the weapon firing the bullet, onthe bullet itself which travels through the barrel. This objective isachieved by placing marker pins radially and under different angles intothe barrel of the weapon, whether newly manufactured or existing, whichmarker pins produce a decodable line coded print on the shell of thebullet while it travels along the marker pins in the barrel.

[0007] According to the broadest aspect of the objective, the presentinvention is a firearm barrel with means for providing identificationline code on the shell of bullets fired through the barrel, comprising arifled or smooth bore, wherein said barrel comprises marker pinscircumferentially arranged in the barrel under different angles inrelation to a reference angle position, said marker pins penetratinginto the bore of the barrel up to a base diameter d, and being capableof impressing bar code markings into the shell of the bullet.

[0008] The characterizing feature of the present invention is that thefirearm barrel further comprises a reference marker pin defining saidreference angle position, and the marker pins are arranged in thecircumferential arrangement in relative angle positions in relation tothe reference angle position defined by said reference marker pin,wherein said relative angle positions determine said identification linecode.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thebarrel comprises a pin bed incorporating the marker pins, said pin bedbeing inserted into the barrel hole.

[0010] According to a further preferred embodiment the circumferentialarrangement of said marker pins is placed in one or two marker plane/s/.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The invention will be further described, by way of example, withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a side view of the barrel, constituting a firstembodiment of the invention;

[0013]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the barrel of FIG. 1; and

[0014]FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section of a second embodiment of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 a hole 2 of abarrel 1 contains (may contain) rifling 3. In a marker plane 4 or in anauxiliary marker plane 5 there are magnitude angle ranges α₁, α₂ . . .α_(n), within which, under given numeral value angle positions β₁,β₂ . .. β_(n), there are radially located marker pins 6, the tips of whichpenetrate into the barrel 1 up to its base diameter d. In this firstembodiment said pins 6 are set in the wall of the barrel 1.

[0016]FIG. 2 shows that in case of this embodiment the angle range of360° is divided into several magnitude angle ranges α₁,α_(2 . . . α)_(n) of the same size (α₁=α₂= . . . α_(n)). In this example themagnitude angle ranges α_(n) designate the magnitudes (ones, tens,hundreds, thousands . . . ) in the decimal number system. Within eachmagnitude angle range α₁, α₂ . . . α_(n) a value angle position β₁,β₂ .. . β_(n) indicates an angle corresponding to a numeral value from 0 to9.

[0017] A reference pin 8, positioned along the circumferentialarrangement of the marker pins 6 to designate a reference angle position0° provides a different mark which is distinguishable from the marksprovided by the marker pins 6, therefore the coded numbers, beginning atthe angle 0°, can be decoded in the given direction.

[0018] The marker pins 6 are preferably arranged in a marker plane 4. Ifhowever, in the course of coding a particular identification numberwhere two adjacent pins would be located too close to each other, which,in turn, would result in bursting their corresponding bores into eachother, then one of the pins 6 can be placed in an auxiliary marker plane5 as shown in FIG. 1. When, in case of a rifled barrel, an auxiliarymarker plane 5 is used, the angle difference obtained from theprojection of the pitch of the rifling shall be taken into considerationin determining the magnitude angles α and numeral value angles β.

[0019] In case of the embodiment of FIG. 3 the marker pins 6 areincorporated into pin bed 7, which is inserted into the barrel hole 2.

[0020] The advantage of the present invention is that it can result in auniform, computerised firearm recording system enabling that from asingle bullet that has been fired the registered owner of the firearmcan be determined. The invention provides a new basis for a moreup-to-date regulation of gun licensing without restricting the humanrights. The application of the invention could be even more effective ifan international registration system of guns set up and the line codingis used in accordance with such an international registration system.

1. Firearm barrel for providing identification line code on the shell ofbullets fired through the barrel, said barrel (1) having a rifled orsmooth bore (2) and marker pins (6) circumferentially arranged in thebarrel (1) so as to penetrate into the barrel (1) up to a base diameter(d) and to impress line markings into the shell of the bullet firedthrough the barrel, characterized in that it further comprises areference marker pin (8) defining a reference angle position (0°), andthe marker pins (6) are arranged in the circumferential arrangement inrelative angle positions (α_(i), β_(i)) in relation to the referenceangle position (0°) defined by said reference marker pin (8) whereinsaid relative angle positions (α_(i), 62 _(i)) determine saididentification line code.